Are you a conservator or preservation technician working alone or in a small team, managing all aspects of preservation and/or conservation for both special and circulating library and archival collections? Do you find yourself navigating these responsibilities with limited resources or support? Join us for a lunch session to address these unique challenges that so many in our field experience, explore practical solutions for building and sustaining robust preservation programs, and continue to build your network.
In June 2024 a group of five “Lone Conservators” working in university libraries began meeting informally on Zoom every two weeks after connecting at AIC’s Annual Conference in Salt Lake City. We come from different parts of the world and we share a common experience: each of us is tasked with handling multiple roles, as our institutions lack the budget for fully staffed Preservation/Conservation Departments. While some university libraries are creating preservation or collections care positions, these roles are often filled by just one conservator tasked with overseeing entire programs. As a result, what were once well-staffed preservation efforts are being reduced to smaller teams, leaving fewer people to manage large collections that continue to deteriorate. Over the months of meeting we are finding great support in one another by creating a cross-institutional department meeting, an active Discord channel, and a fileshare where we exchange helpful documentation and protocols. Our hope is to expand this network and connect with more conservators in similar roles, inviting them to join us and benefit from the support we’ve found in one another.
This session serves as an extension of themes we discuss in our bi-monthly meetings and focuses on:
* Building Networks and Sharing Resources: Strategies for connecting with local and online cultural heritage communities and sharing best practices and resources.
* Overcoming Institutional Challenges: Effective communication to advocate for preservation needs, change institutional culture around preservation, and manage with limited budgets and staff.
* Making the most of Resources: Prioritizing tasks, finding cost-efficient preservation methods and materials, setting up functional labs, and developing tools for management and collaboration.
* Documentation and Policies: Creating and maintaining comprehensive documentation and developing effective preservation policies.
* Professional Development: Opportunities for training and career growth to enhance skills and advance in the field.
Our group has grown already and we aim to open up this bi-monthly virtual meeting place for anyone who would benefit from joining. We continue to develop ideas, come up with ways to advocate for one another within our institutions, and organize as a group. We're excited to share our progress and discuss your thoughts during this lunch session!
Our panel will feature four professionals – Amanda Richards (University of Tennessee), Carrie Smith (Tulane University), Fleur van der Woude (University of Arizona), and Nora Bloch (Virginia Commonwealth University) – who navigate these challenges and will share their insights and stories. Attendees will be encouraged to participate in the conversation, share their experiences, and collaborate on solutions. Together, we can inspire each other and strengthen the field of library and archive preservation and conservation.
